Our work

Our movement

Our thinking

Posted in: press

5th October 2018

Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo Chairman and Former CEO, Joins The B Team

October 5, 2018, New York: Today The B Team announced Indra Nooyi, Chairman and Former CEO of PepsiCo, will join its collective of global business and civil society leaders working to build a principled and purpose-driven private sector.

Throughout her career, Mrs. Nooyi’s forward-thinking leadership has helped to develop and implement business models that work for the benefit of consumers and communities. She joined PepsiCo in 1994, as the company’s Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning, later moving into roles in Corporate Strategy and Development and serving as Chief Financial Officer. She was appointed CEO in 2006 and assumed the role of Chairman in 2007. She stepped down from her role as CEO in October.

At the time of her appointment as CEO, Mrs. Nooyi served as one of only a few female CEOs of major American corporations. In 2006, female CEOs comprised two percent of the Fortune 500 CEOs. Today, female CEOs comprise nearly five percent of this group.

Mrs. Nooyi is the chief architect of Performance with Purpose, PepsiCo’s pledge to do what’s right for the business by being responsive to the needs of the world around us. As part of Performance with Purpose, PepsiCo is focusing on delivering sustained growth by making healthier and more nutritious products, limiting their environmental footprint and protecting the planet, and empowering their employees and people in the communities they serve. At the same time, over the past decade, PepsiCo’s revenue has nearly doubled, going from $35 billion to roughly $63.5 billion in 2017.

Her forward-thinking vision was not without opposition, both internally and externally, however. Some PepsiCo investors and employees did not feel her long-term, healthier approach was worth risking the company’s established success. But Mrs. Nooyi’s leadership is proof that profit and purpose can go hand in hand.

As part of Performance with Purpose, in 2016 the company announced new long-term targets for 2025, including lowering carbon emissions, advancing human rights in agricultural practices and increasing access to nutritious food and beverages in underserved communities.

“We are past the point of recognizing that the health of our companies, our communities, and our countries is inextricably linked. For an inclusive and thriving future, it’s time to move from talk to action,” Mrs. Nooyi said. “I am honored and excited to join this inspiring group of peers dedicated to building a private sector that operates in the interest of all of its stakeholders.”

Mrs. Nooyi joins The B Team following three new Leader additions: Emmanuel Faber, Chairman and CEO of Danone, Isabelle Kocher, CEO of Engie and Hamdi Ulukaya, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Chobani. She’s worked alongside several B Team Leaders, serving on the board of the Consumer Goods Forum in partnership with B Team Chair and Unilever CEO Paul Polman and Emmanuel Faber, and helping advance women’s leadership in business with Thrive Global Founder and CEO, Arianna Huffington.

"Indra Nooyi has been a pioneer for her entire career,” said Arianna Huffington, Founder and CEO of Thrive Global, “She’s not only been a role model for women, but her leadership has been proof positive that companies don’t have to choose between purpose and profits. As she has shown, when companies prioritize the health and well-being of their customers, their people and the planet, success will follow. I can’t wait to work with her and see what she’ll bring to The B Team and our mission.”

“As one of too few female CEOs in the US, and the world, Mrs. Nooyi has long-served as an inspiration to me, and countless others. In this role, she’s demonstrated how leading with values catalyses value,” said Halla Tómasdóttir, CEO of The B Team, “It is truly a pleasure to welcome her to The B Team. We look forward to her invaluable contribution toward our effort to build a fairer, greener and more human economy.”

The B Team is a catalyst for bold dialogue, inspiring courageous leadership and brave business action toward a fairer, greener and more human economy. The B Team’s global collective of business and civil society leaders are working together to build a principled and purpose-driven private sector and demonstrate that, with courageous leadership, business becomes a force for good.